A big decision to be made , help needed

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
A big decision to be made , help needed
5
Tue, 05-22-2007 - 4:02pm

Hi,
Sravan was always mainstreamed (no aid). Every year was a struggle. This year has been wonderful. His current teacher wants Sravan to be in a smaller class. The whole district is good and somehow Sravan has charmed them all. SO I visited the class and here are my observation:

I am listing it out:

1) Small classroom - I found a good 1x1 for reading
and writing which is good.

2) Science, Social science, art, music, PE -
Mainstreamed with an aid for bunch of kids. I like the
idea that the kids go to these classes with an aid. Do
you think he would be able to handle art and PE with
an aid or this needs more modification?

3) The kids are let go for recesses (lunch and the
morning one). I am not sure about this. Sravan's
hardest area is to handle kids in the playground and
it took him 4 long years and some accomadations to get
where we are today (Big worry here). I am not sure how
he will handle eating lunch at the lunch table
(another worrisome area). Currently he eats lunch in the office to get downtime.

4) One child is going to mainstream math by himself
(since he is the only one).

5) Eating snack - I did not see any issue about eating
snack inside the classroom by the teacher. But the
teacher mentioned that some of her kids do it during
morning recess (can be worked out I think)

6) Homework - The teacher said that she keeps in touch
with the mainstream classroom regarding the classwork
and they all get a binder and the homework is checked
by her and the parent also have to sign them. The kids
do HW either in the class or get to take it home.
Maybe the binder idea can help him organize with HW.

7) If a child cannot handle mainstream or has a bad
day then they are sent back to the SDC room for that
day.

8) This current year, there are only 2 kids on the
spectrum and rest have some kind of learning
disability. So the social skills is done thru pull out
by the SLP specialist.

9) Biggest concern is the group of friends that he has
this year.

10) The kids go back to their Homeschool for middle
school.

11) The teacher also mentioned that there are 3
similar programs in the district and the child can be
placed at any school. I was concerned but Verne said
he would try and get at this school if we chose to do
it.

12) The teacher was very good and seems quite flexible
to handle various workloads depending on the child
which is good.

So what other things should I look for? Would this make Sravan's life easier?

THank you so much for reading this far.

Anandhi

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-22-2007 - 5:09pm

Ok, have some questions.

First, what made this year so successful? Can that be continued next year?

What grade level is he (I am thinking going into 5th ish?) and if so does this mean he moves for one year and then back to a similar situation as now?

Though the program sounds good and any little issues (like lunch) can be tweaked in his IEP but I have concerns that it appears to be only one year. Change is hard and switching and getting new friends is very hard for our guys. Then switching back to his regular middle school afterwards, well I am wondering what precisely they are trying to accomplish educationally. What are the future goals? One good year in a separated program with lots of changes isn't going to help his over educational challenges though it may give him one good year.

It sounds like a good program but I would definitely look a little more into it before oking the switch. I would see if there is a way to continue the success from this year with similar supports next year (if it ain't broke philosophy, lol). I would check into this switching back to middle school thing. If the program he was going to continued on into elementary and he could make some relationships there that would continue with him then that would be ok.

That's my 2 cents.

Renee

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Avatar for betz67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-22-2007 - 5:50pm

where is that 'what Renee said' icon?

I have the same thoughts as Renee. If he's doing so well this year, why not continue the same for next year? (I do understand that the teacher can't/won't be the same so it wouldn't be exactly like this year). The program you discribe sounds very good, but if he's been handling the math up to now why not mainstream for that as well? definitely tweak the IEP for lunch, it might be good to try the lunch room, esp if he's in a smaller class and having less stress there, you might be able to add back a little bit in the form of the lunch room.

Will all the going back and forth between SDC classroom and mainstream be a stress to him? that's a lot of changing when he's used to being in the same classroom all day long. And is this only for one year? esp if he's making some friends and a circle of support, changing schools right now might have a negative affect on those friendships and the gains he's made socially.

If you feel it's the right fit in your gut-- I'd go w/ that. My gut reaction seems to be a better indicator than my brain reaction.

Betsy

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
Wed, 05-23-2007 - 1:11pm

Thank you Renee and Betsy,
This is what I was telling my husband too. I wish I had known about this program last year. We would have gotten atleast 2 yrs before the switch to middle school. Here are the reasons that the teachers want me to consider.

Sravan's current year teacher (eventhough a mainstream one) is used to special Ed. kids and she made all the accomodations for him. His current year pricipal thinks that none of the 5th grade teachers are so accomodating and that means Sravan will be on a slippery slope. His current teacher also worked so hard to boost his morale up and give him the confidence. As a result, we have not seen any throwing things, head banging, saying I am "not good..stupid etc." She wants him to be in an environment that will help him grow +vely and slowly learn the above mentioned behaviour as norm.

I was worried about this mainstream class switching issue too, which he has to do next year. Then I thought with an aid(for group of kids), he might get a head start on this. I am not so concerned about academics (but I really don't want it to fall on the way side), but if the class doesn't challenge him then that in itself can lead to behavioural issues (talk about loose loose situation like too much or too little he will fall apart).

If we continue in this school, then he will get supports (as following):

1) As soon as any written work is given, the resource will help get started on it.
2) Lunch in office continues.
3) Board games in library with small group of friends for recessess
4) For art he will help teachers in younger grade.
5) Again science and social science can be difficult and depends on the mood of the day. (due to 33 kids walking and talking at the same time)
6) PE - I am not sure here.
7) Use of alphaSmart for all written work.
8) HW help (like packing up for the day and turning it in) - not discussed here.

The only big factor that is holding me up is his friends that he has made, thanks to the teacher. The SDC classroom kids were also nice and interacted well with each other (only 2 on the spectrum this year). I spoke to Sravan. He really liked the idea of small class, but was worried about friends. He said that he would love to visit that school for a day and decide. But I am thinking that if one child talks about Yu-gi-yoh! he is sold (LOL!!!!)

One confused mom,
Anandhi

Avatar for betz67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 05-23-2007 - 3:56pm

Anandhi,

Weston is finishing up 5th grade. We had a WONDERFUL set of teachers in 4th grade. I didn' know how wonderful until we had not so wonderful teachers this year. His 2 main teachers last year had autism teaching experience. They made lots of accomidations for him that weren't in the IEP, that no one told them to do, they just took everything in stride and made a great year happen for him. they were structured yet flexible, they pushed him w/o stressing him out. They taught the other kids how to understand and like Weston. They would call or email for the littlest thing. They could tell by the look on his face how to handle him each day.

This year-- teachers not so good. They are fine teachers they just don't get it at all. They don't understand how a kid as academically advanced as Weston can be as socially and emotionally behind as he is. They don't understand that he's not deliberately not doing homework, they don't understand that some days it's all he can do to get home and let it all out w/o losing all control in a public place-- those days homework is not done. They don't understand that he thinks anytime something negative happens to him that it wasn't deliberate. They don't realize that he feels that the world is attacking him most of the time, the world esp school world is a very difficult place to be. And they really haven't made an effort to understand him either.

We had the teachers from 4th grade saying "oh he'll do wonderfully, he won't have any problems at all, we'll explain all the accomidations we make to them (5th grade teachers) and we'll add everything to the IEP" some things just can't be added to an IEP, personalities and understanding aren't just added to the IEP and made to happen.

If you think the 5th grade teachers will not be flexible and understanding and the other program would be a good fit, I'd probably go that way. It's so hard to know by just an internet post. shoot, it's hard to know in real life.

gosh, I think the other program sounds really good and having support when changing classes would be wonderful. Having a small, calm place to go to do your work would be great. Kids that are kind and helpful to each other would be wonderful as well.

Betsy

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
Thu, 05-24-2007 - 7:35pm

Betsy,
I became teary eyed reading your post. When you described Weston, you actually described Sravan. There are days he is so overwhelmed, I just write-off HW as I know his teacher would understand. His teacher also understands that he can do that in class and it doesn't take him long to finish it. Its just not today. Yes, his current teacher made all the accomodations which is not even mentioned in his IEP. But we have another problem, that program has filled up and he is on a waiting list. Not knowing is the worst with Asperger kids (the anxiety, I cannot imagine).

thank you so much, reading your post really helped me.

Anandhi